Tell Me Why?
by wff-writer
Summary: edited Naruto is falling over the edge and it's up to Sasuke to bring him back.. Slight shounenai


Author's Note: This is my first time writing a Naruto fanfiction. So don't flame me till i'm a burnt barbequed stick. Please?

My heart is weak.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Because if I did the playboy channel would no longer be called **playboy** but the **Naruto channel**.

Pairings: SasuNaru... sorta

Summary: Naruto has been slipping off the edge and it's up to Sasuke to bring him back.

Tell me why?

It had only been about 4 months. It couldn't be that serious, could it? He'd bounce back, like he always did. Wouldn't he? Yeah, it was only temporary. That's it, temporary. Wasn't it? Damn him! Who'd he think he was? Making them fail missions, get in trouble with Kakashi-sensei, not to mention Hokage-sama. He was seriously ganna reem that baka a new one once he found him. Damn _his _dobe. Wait? no, no, no. Damn _that _dobe.

Sasuke walked blankly down the path he had come to know so well. Seeing as he had to follow it almost twice a week now. Only to retrieve that idiot of a teammate. It seemed to be happening more often than usual however. He didn't think anyone else had notices since they hadn't taken up the blond moron as their rival. And well, you had to know everything about your rival.

And he knew everything about his rival. He knew how the fool walked. He know how he talked when he was mad, angry, sad. He knew all his favorite sports to sulk. He knew exactly what times Naruto would go to Ichiruka's for Ramen. He even knew that Naruto had changed in the past 4 months. He didn't have his usual happy go lucky smile. Or his optomistic attitude about almost everything. His hair didn't spike as much as usual but rather seemed to sorta droop. His step had changed as well. It was very small and short. Naruto had always seemed to walk forward awaiting whatever came. Now he seemed to just walk. And when ever something did occur the small boy just delt with it and then forget about it.

Even his eyes. They had gotten dull. They didn't shine like they used to. They were a gray-blue rather than their sky light baby blue. When it began he even slowed down his claim to become Hokage some day to barley a few times a week. Just recently though it had stopped all together. Who was this boy? This was not the Naruto Sasuke concidered his rival. This was not the boy that he... This was not Naruto.

However, most of these thoughts were just supressed into the back part of the Uchiha's mind right as they surfaced. Right now he could only replay the situation of earlier in the day.

_Naruto had shown up late as usual for the Shinobi banquet. He had seemed to make it quit a habit of showing up late to anything and everything. They were celebrating their recent success in missions, well at least the other Shinobi's recent success in missions. Though Sasuke just figured it a way for the olders to have a party and drink sake. But that didn't bother him seeing as it didn't involve him. But right when the dobe entered someone had been shoved and ended up backing into Naruto and forcing him backwards as well. It was too bad that he had been standing infront of the food table. Naruto lost his balance and stumbled backwards into the table knocking it over and all the food onto the floor. The room fell quit and all eyes had been layed on him. _

_Already agrivated with his late arival Sasuke found his blood boiling and his anger rising. Before he knew it he was standing next to Naruto. Without realizing it he had grabed Naruto and slamed him up against the wall leaving half the guests wide eyes and the rest with accusing eyes still focused on Naruto. _

_"You moron! this is all your fault! What the hell is your problem!" _

_Sasuke growled as he held Naruto firmly up against the wall with both his fists entangled in the fox's jacket. Noticing the sheer lack of response from the other boy he started to think maybe he'd killed him by banging his head to hard or something. But that was all forgotten when the blond boy seemed to smile. Oh, it wasn't no ordinary smile. Oh no. It made chills run down his spine. There was an eerie chill to it. Almost like he was going to fox out right before Sasuke's very eyes. Though the blonds eyes were shaded behind his bangs. Never the less this didn't intimidate Sasuke. He slammed Naruto harder against the wall in an atempt to emphasize his earlier question._

_"Answer me!" No reply._

_Sasuke was about to punch him when he heard a faint voice start to speak. Hardly audible by even him he doubted anyone else could hear as well. _

_"You're just like them now." barley a whisper._

_Being on the suprising level that this was it managed to make Sasuke quirk an eyebrow. In a lower voice he spoke more softly._

_"What?"_

_And that was it. Naruto had wretched himself loose of the tight Uchiha grasp and disappeard into the night as he stormed out of the Hall. There were casual whispers then a bit louder and then people finally eased into talking again. _

_"God, that boys a menace."_

_"Yeah, all he does is ruin things."_

_"Hokage-sama should of never let him come."_

_"Why'd he even bother to come in the first place."_

_"He should of known he'd mess everything up."_

_Yup, there were those old familiar voices that he had even grown accustomed to. But just then he started to understand what the boy ment. 'You're just like them now.' But he couldn't of ment that he Sasuke, talked like that about the dobe? Talked like that behind his back. No. If he ever had anything to say about the moron he said it straight to the boys face. He never looked at him the way these people did. Did he?_

_He was awaken from his idle stance by his Sensei. Kakashi had come up behind him and Sasuke had been completly oblivious to the fact that he had just been standing there for the past five minutes. _

_"Sasuke-kun?"_

_Without turning around Sasuke still bowed his head as his back was against his Sensei._

_"What Kakashi-sensei?"_

_"That wasn't very nice."_

_"Well he shouldn't have.."_

_Sasuke trailed off as realization struck what had actualy happened. Finally remembering the event he remembered that somebody had bumped into Naruto causing him to fly backwards and cause the upruckus. So, then it really wasn't his fault? No, it wasn't. And there Sasuke was ready to pound the boy into the wall for doing something that was totally out of his hand. That's when the guilt shrouded him._

_"Maybe you should go find him." That certainly got Sasuke's attention.He spun around to meet Kakashi square in the eye. _

_"Why the hell should I go find him? It's not like he wont come back. And it's not my responsability to look after him!" Kakashi only smiled, or at least that's what it looked like concidering he couldn't really tell through that mask he was so fond of. _

_"He's already gone past the Konoha boundries And I think you might be the only one who can convince him to come back."_

_Sasuke only looked stupifide. "How would you know he's already left the..."_

_He was cut off as Kakashi disappeared in his customary poof-into-the-smoke way._

He was brought back to his current situation when something orange and black caught his eye.

FINALLY! HE'D FOUND HIM! THAT IDIOT! WHAT WAS HE THINKING? DID HE JUST LOVE TO PISS HIM OFF? REALLY, HONESTLY, WHAT WAS THIS BOYS PROBL...

Wait? Was he, no. He couldn't be. Was Naruto crying? He was laying on his side next to a pond with his hand dipped into the water while his other arm came around the back of his head. He only had his orange pants on while his jacket lay stroon across a tree a little distance away. He had that little brownish gray shirt on and that necklas that seemed to show every once in a while was dangling to the side. His eyes were closed and water was coming from them. Finally taking in his suroundings, Sasuke noted that he must be well past another village outside of Konoha. He hadn't realized it but he must of been walking for a few hours concidering the moon was up and full with the a sky of stars to acompany it.

"Naruto?" Sasuke tried to sound less concerned than he felt.

Naruto hadn't noticed Sasuke till he heard his voice and quickly sat up wipping his eyes fiercly with the back of his forarm.

"What the hell do you want?" He growled back.

What? Did he seriously just get attitude with him. Oh hell no. He had just walked more than likely over 20 miles looking for this damn fool. In the night non the less. And here he was trying to be nice to get his head bitten off. He surley wasn't ganna stand for that.

"You know what you little..."

There it was again. Those damn feelings just banging at the door which he had been trying to close for so long. He couldn't bring himself to yell at this boy. This boy. That's right, this wasn't Naruto. Not at all.

Naruto would of gotten up and challenged him to a fight with a smirk on his face. But here, this kid just staired back into the pond with hardly any emotion at all. Not even pain. How dare he concider himself Naruto. No way in hell was this _'his' _Naruto.

Sasuke bowed his head as he walked up to him standing no more than at least 5 feet away from the small kid sitting on the floor.

"Where is he?"

Naruto couldn't understand what he ment. What was he doing out here anyways. Why was he even bothering to find him.

"Where is who?"

The dark haird boy stood still while his bangs still shadowed his eyes. "Where is Naruto?" he dead panned.

Confusion played all the features of Naruto's face now as he stood to his feet. "I'm right here bastard! Or have you lost your sence of sight?"

Slightly shaking his head, Sasuke put his hands in his pockets. "No you're not. You are not Naruto."

Wow. That took him aback. The blond could only staire but still managed to to get a few words in the end. "What the are you talking about?"

It was as if somebody had turned on the on switch of Sasuke's body because right after the last sound of Naruto's voice disappeared Sasuke had lunged himself at the other boy and tackled him to the floor pinning his wrists next to his head and straddling his waist. He slammed the boys wrist's into the floor again to emphasize.

"You are not NARUTO!" He screamed the last part almost. But only raised his voice very loud.

Naruto managed to raise his head a little trying to fight off the Uchiha without actually managing to do anything. Weather he liked it or not Sasuke was stronger than him in brute strength and the situation did nothing to fair him at all.

"Yes I am you idiot!" He snarled.

The grip on his wrists tightened to the point of pain. Naruto winced and then looked up at Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes bore into his as if he was going to kill him just by stairing. They were so dark. Black didn't even describe their now death painted color. Even the Sharingan wasn't as scary as this. He leaned in closer to Naruto's face shadowing his eyes again.

"No you're not. You are not the dobe. The dobe doesn't let people step all over him. He doesn't just stand idle by while people insult him. The dobe would of fought back when I slammed him into the wall. Naruto would of given me a head ach just by screaming at me for doing that. He wouldn't of just slumped there and let me do that. What have you done to him. What have you done to _'my' _dobe?"

The last part was said in a whisper so faint Naruto almost didn't hear it. _Almost_.

Turning his head to the side to stair towards the pond once again, he let the moon show it's silvering lining across his features bringing his eyes to a glitter.

"Yeah well, the dobe doesn't egsist anymore. He died about four months ago." Finally fed up with his crap Sasuke released his wrists only to grab onto his shirt collar. He pulled up and slammed him hard into the floor for at least the 3rd time that day. "Why, why do you say that? Huh? TELL ME WHY?"

This was seriously pissing Sasuke off. How dare this boy think he can change like this and just get away with it. How dare he think he can act like a bafoon no more. How dare he think he can make him worry so...

"You." Sasuke stopped abruptly. Naruto was speaking and he damned well wanted to hear this lame ass excuse. "You said you didn't care anymore."

His grip lossened and his hands lay loose against Naruto's chest while he still straddled the other boy's waist. His eyes lightened and his snarl turned into a frown.

"What are you talking about?"

Naruto still lay there with his arms to either side of his head. Looking to the side, just letting the other boy sit atop him. "It was four months ago. You said you just didn't care anymore during one of our missions."

Was he really refering to that time. If he was, Sasuke swore he was ganna have to beat the living shit out of this boy.

_About four months ago Team 7 was assigned to do another meaningless task that involved watching over one of the town's peoples pet cat. That same annoying pet cat with the ribbon on one ear. Well, that same pet cat seemed to taking a liking to kicking Naruto's ass. So when it had gotten away for the 46th time Sasuke was fed up with chassing the damn thing around. He grabed Naruto and slammed him into a tree and cursed him. _

_"What the hell is your problem dumbass? How many times have you let the damn thing go? God Naruto, all you do is screw up."_

_With a sigh of exhaustion he let him go and started to walk away. _

_"I just don't care anymore. Go back to your apartment and I will handle this mission. I don't even wana look at you anymore." _

_He'd thought he could feel how bad he'd hurt the spiral freak but then just forced himself to ignore that while he went off searching for the damn rat again. That's when Naruto started to change he noted. _

Back in reality Sasuke couldn't handle this. How could this chipper little kid let something so meaningless affect him so much. He hadn't even really ment it.

"Ahhh! Naruto you idiot. That's all this has been about." Naruto still hadn't looked at the body still useing his as a bean bag chair.

"You know even though they respect me a little, It's not like they truly think of me as their friends. All they ever do is insult me and call me names. Not the same name's as the other villagers but still they say them. I tried to ignore it cause I knew that at least one person truly did respect me enough to think of me as their equal. Their rival. But then I knew I was just fooling myself that day."

Naruto finally looked up at other boy. "That day you proved to me you really didn't care one ounce about me." Sasuke's eyes widened at that. Did he really think he didn't care at all. He was finally at his ends. He grabbed fists full of his own hair and grunted. "Argh Naruto. you make things so..." He trailed off as his hands loosened and they droped back down across Naruto's chest as he just finally gave up and flopped his full front body against the blonds. His head resting right over Naruto's heart so that Sasuke could feel it beat in his ear. His head turned to the same side as Naruto's looking into the pond. He understood why the dobe would find it so fasinating now.

"so difficult."

Now it was Naruto's turn to widen his eyes. In utter disbelief and shock he just stiffened and stayed still.

"You know if we really didn't care about you we wouldn't waste our breath to call you an idiot or a pain in the ass, or even a dobe. Weather you like it or not Naruto we care about u. I care. You are _'my'_ friend. _'My' _rival. _'My' _dobe."

Even stiffer. Feeling Sasuke's body jerk a little while he started to laugh lightly, made Naruto's skin crawl. "You know Naruto, I am truly ganna kick your ass for letting something I didn't even mean affect you so much for the past four months." Even though he knew it might have been that that triggered it but it just helped everything else to finally be able to take full affect.

He was right. It's true. They had to care. They cared. Sasuke cared. Sasuke cared about him. Sasuke was his friend. His rival. Sasuke was... Sasuke was there. There for him.

Easing under Sasuke Naruto smiled lightly. Sasuke could feel the boy stop stiffening and picked himself up into a sitting position and couldn't hold back a smirk as he saw those oh so familiar eyes. Those blue bright brilliant eyes he knew so well. He picked himself up off the smaller boy and helped him to his feet.

"Let's go home dobe."

As Sasuke started to walk away he sensed that no one was following him. He turned around to find Naruto was standing still with his eyes shadowed. By the Hokages, what now?

"Not till we fight, If i'm going to be Hokage some day then I have to make sure I can beat even the weakest in the village so let's fight Uchiha."

There it was. That persistant optomistic happy go lycky attitude. And his favorite thing about _his_ dobe. That smile. That _real_ smile. Naruto started to walk towards him but tripped over a rock. Or maybe it was a branch. Hell, it could of been his own foot for all Sasuke cared. He only smiled and turned around starting to walk away from the spralled out dobe.

"You can't even walk, let alone beat me you moron."

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Elsewhere a masked figure stood along with another figure that had a scare across his nose.

"How did you know that Sasuke could bring Naruto back?"

"I didn't, I was going out on a limb Iruka-sensei."

Knowing he really wasn't the other man just smiled as he watched his two former students walk back to their village side by side while Naruto continuely babbled on about pointless stuff. He really was glad to see that shine back in those blye orbs.

"What ever you say Kakashi-sensei."

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There ya have it. I have finished. I am done. And I am completly displeased with my work.

Sasuke- What the hell was that! Why am I so OOC!

WFF- I swear I tried not to make you like that Sasuke. I really did try.

Sasuke- Well trying isn't good enough!

WFF- You know what?

Sasuke- WHAT?

WFF- SHUT THE HELL UP BEFORE I FEED YOU TO KAKASHI-SENSEI'S NIN-DOGS!

Sasuke- "..." cowers in fear

Well see ya'll all when and if I see ya...

Later Days

"please review"


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